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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 619

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Words: Joseph M. ScrivenMusic: Charles C. ConverseTune: Converse8.7.8.7 D

Studio

1What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Also sung to
Erie (Christ in Song #329)
Meter
8.7.8.7 D

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7 · as printed
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 74% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCBDBCB

Could also be sung to Nettleton, Abbot's Leigh, Harwell, All the Way, Autumn · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

What a friend we have in Jesus,˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8A
All our sins and griefs to bear!/˘/˘/˘/7B
What a privilege to carry˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8C
Everything to God in prayer!/˘/˘/˘/7B
O what peace we often forfeit,˘˘/˘/˘/˘8D
O what needless pain we bear,˘˘/˘/˘/7B
All because we do not carry/˘/˘˘˘/˘8C
Everything to God in prayer!/˘/˘/˘/7B

Verse 2

Have we trials and temptations?˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8A
Is there trouble anywhere?˘//˘/˘/7B
We should never be discouraged;˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8C
Take it to the Lord in prayer./˘˘˘/˘/7B
Can we find a friend so faithful˘˘/˘/˘/˘8D
Who will all our sorrows share?˘˘/˘/˘/7B
Jesus knows our every weakness;/˘/˘/˘/˘8E
Take it to the Lord in prayer./˘˘˘/˘/7B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.